Compared to today’s offerings, television in the 1950s and early 1960s was downright primitive.

First off, every show was broadcast in glorious black-and-white. The screen on a standard TV set was tiny and the program lineup consisted primarily of family oriented sit-coms, game shows and action/adventure shows.

Walt Disney put his own unique stamp on this relatively new medium, populating the airwaves with his own brand of wholesome fare, like "The Mickey Mouse Club," and tales right out of the history books, such as "Davy Crockett."

Leslie Nielsen in his role as "The Swamp Fox" which ran from 1959-1961.

Into that mix of Disney shows was "The Swamp Fox," the story of American Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, whose unconventional tactics helped defeat the British and vaulted him into American folk hero status.

"The Swamp Fox" episodes aired between 1959 and 1961 and starred the inimitable Leslie Nielsen, who died earlier this week of pneumonia at 84.

Nielsen, of course, was best known later in his career for his deadpan humor as a doctor in the film "Airplane!" and as bumbling Det. Frank Drebin in the "Naked Gun" movies.

But Nielsen — who was born in Canada — got one of his first big acting breaks playing Marion, the American Revolutionary War hero. In real life, Nielsen served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.

Disney was hoping the story of "The Swamp Fox" would equal or surpass the success of its earlier "Davy Crockett" series. Like "Davy Crockett" star Fess Parker — a talented singer and musician — Nielsen was asked to sing his show’s theme song, but with far less vocal abilities than Parker displayed on "The Ballad of Davy Crockett."

In point of fact, Nielsen couldn’t sing.

In "The Swamp Fox" theme song, Nielsen talks his way through the opening bars before his ragged vocals are drowned out by a chorus of background singers:

The song was written by Lew Foster and long-time Disney composer Buddy Baker.

Nielsen's vocal rendition reminds us of another famous actor who was asked to lend his vocal "talents" to a song in a Disney production. In "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," Kirk Douglas gave a similar talk/sing interpretation, often drowned out by background singers, on the song "A Whale of a Tale."

Sour notes aside, Nielsen would go on to much greater success uttering deadpan lines like this classic in "Airplane!":